Personal account of Rt Hon. Jim Murphy, CEO @ArdenStrategies and lots of other things.
Oct 7, 2022 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
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This thread is about how the SNP will to try to 'game' the UK media popping in to their conference this wknd. I know it can be hard to hold nationalisms to account on our islands. But SNP have a media template that often works for them esp w/ media from outside Scotland 1/12
SNP craves a starring role as commentators abt UK govt mess. But they're a govt in part of UK, not casual media commentators. They want to talk abt what they're not responsible for to avoid focussing on what they are. Just Google poverty, NHS waits, ferries, drug deaths etc 2/12
May 27, 2022 • 26 tweets • 7 min read
🧵The final day. Whose Fault Is It Anyway? As Nicola Sturgeon becomes Scotland’s longest serving FM, I’m examining her record in Govt. Today I look at her most regular excuses for her failed radicalism: a lack of power, money & time. 1/
Here are Nicola Sturgeon’s most common complaints:
“It takes time to deliver change.”
“I don’t have the powers that I need.”
“We don’t have the budget that Scotland deserves.”
In this thread I examine why each of these are excuses, not reasons. 2/
May 26, 2022 • 21 tweets • 7 min read
🧵Day 4: Nicola Sturgeon is Scotland's longest serving First Minister. There will always be highs and lows in any govt, but let's analyse whether her time has seen fundamental change. Today I'm looking at openness and the centralisation of power 1/
Nicola Sturgeon was elected as First Minister promising a government like no other. And in some important regards she has exceeded everyone's expectations. She has presided over a creeping culture of secrecy and centralised control. 2/
May 25, 2022 • 18 tweets • 6 min read
Nicola Sturgeon is now Scotland’s longest serving First Minister. There will always be highs and lows in any govt, but let’s analyse whether her time has seen fundamental change. Today I’ll take a look at promises on drugs policy, energy, tax, and students. 1/
First up – drugs policy: the FM has repeatedly promised to get to grips on drugs policy & emphasised that as a Glasgow MSP she understood the issue. So, let’s have a look at whether her actions matched her warm words. 2/
May 24, 2022 • 17 tweets • 4 min read
🧵Day 2 - This week Nicola Sturgeon becomes Scotland’s longest serving First Minister – 7 years, 6 months & 6 days. Long enough to radically reshape an education system. Each day this week I’m looking at a different aspect of the FM's record. Today, I'm looking at education 1/
Nicola Sturgeon rightly announced a determination to close the educational attainment gap between the poorest and prosperous pupils. She even declared it as her “defining mission”. She invited the media to a set-piece speech in one of Edinburgh’s working-class schemes 2/
May 23, 2022 • 15 tweets • 4 min read
🧵This week Nicola Sturgeon will become Scotland’s longest serving First Minister – 7 years, 6 months & 6 days. Long enough for anyone to radically reshape a nation. There will always be highs and lows in any govt, but let’s analyse whether her time has seen fundamental change 1/
So, each day this week I’ll be looking at a different aspect of her record as First Minister (and remember the SNP have been in power for 15 years) 2/
May 22, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Labour strategists are optimists - a mixed blessing.
They will hope the next UK election is Australia2022 where an anti-Tory public sentiment finds a way to defeat a divisive incumbent. 1/
Instead they should fear that the 2024 campaign looks much more like UK2015.
Two divisive nationalist govts - SNP&Tory - both energising & reinforcing one another squeezing out Labour’s economic appeal. 2/
